Naming
Naming This is a rare Art guarded jealously among the court seers and few commoner namers of the Crystal Circle. Rumor has it that entrants into the Crystal Circle are all taught the secrets of this Art upon their joining -- a rumor that august body has yet to deny or confirm. True Names hold the essence of Glamour, as well as the ability to control the soul of the being, if the namer is powerful enough. A powermongering seer could well control the flux of power within a court by injudicious use of the Naming Art. There have been a few who tried, like the infamous Malachi Tadcaster. By altering the True Name of Baron Scheiro, he caused that lofty noble to be changed into a horse, which he rode into court. Not long after, three mysterious sisters calling themselves the Norns paid Malachi a visit. Malachi disappeared with them, and he has never been heard from again. It should also be noted that all written accounts of him have gradually faded as well, as though scribed on goblin parchment. His name remains in the spoken word alone, a caveat to injudicious name-users. The Naming Art will not work against someone who already knows your True Name. Your naming magic is useless if someone knows your name and you don't know hers. Beginning characters should not know the Naming Art, as it is rarely known to any but members of the Crystal Circle or high-ranking nobles. Attribute: Intelligence · Seek 'n' Spell (Player's Guide, pp. 171-172) Use of this cantrip allows you to see the meaning behind any written text. You can read anything in any language, even tracts written with magical wards on them (although the magic of the ward will oppose the reader, as in the example under Weaver Ward). A new cantrip must be cast for each new tract read. The subject matter of the text determines the Realm that must be applied. A book of medieval weapons written in Latin, for example, can be ready by someone using the Prop Realm. A Fae using the Nature Realm could decipher a manuscript on the flora of South America. Changelings unsure if they have the appropriate Realm to use for this cantrip may make a Kenning + Perception roll (usually Difficulty 7, with higher penalties for Wards, etc.) to ken the general subject matter of the text. System: The number of successes indicate how much information is gained from reading the tract. * 1 success -- Vague understanding with few clear details. * 2 successes -- Fairly clear understanding of the tract with only a few details. * 3 successes -- Full understanding with all details coherent. * 4 successes -- Complete understanding, as well as divining the subtext or any hidden meanings behind the text (any coded information is also revealed). * 5 successes -- As above, and you can ask up to three questions about the author of the text. ·· Rune (power has been modified for balance &/or setting) (Player's Guide, pp. 172-173) Rune unleashes the abstract mystical power behind the symbols known as runes. You inscribe a symbol on the object you wish to enchant, in addition to the chosen Bunk. This cantrip is an enhancement to other cantrips or actions. For example: Roderic the troll wishes to use Rune to enhance the successes of attacking with his battle-axe. He inscribes the appropriate rune on the axe, acts out the Bunk, and gains three successes from the cantrip. Roderic now has three additional successes on his axe-swing. However, the character must gain at least one success in whatever he is attempting to do before these successes are added -- this cantrip does not provide an automatic success. The effect of the cantrip lasts for one action (the cantrip is used up, even if the axe-swing missed). System: The Realm determines the target of the cantrip. The successes are added onto any successes gained when taking another action. To use this to bolster the casting of a cantrip, the user must use the realm Fae 5: Dwemour of Glamour. Unless the action is taken immediately after the spell is cast, use of the Time realm is required (with the increased Glamour cost and +1 difficulty). Permanence cannot affect this cantrip. ··· Runic Circle (Player's Guide, pg. 173) This cantrip inscribes a protective circle around the target or on a charm that can be carried. The circle acts as an invisible buffer that protects against supernatural forces. In addition to the Bunk, you must inscribe a runic circle on either the floor or an object (usually taking a full turn). System: The realm determines where the cantrip is cast. Each Realm has its own advantages and disadvantages, thus while a Runic Circle cast in conjunction with Scene may protect more people, it is not mobile as one cast on a Prop would be. A Prop may be stolen or dropped, though, unlike a Circle cast on a person by using Actor -- the possibilities are endless. The base cost of this cantrip is 1 Glamour. It lasts a base duration of 1 hour, +1 hour per additional success. User can extend to 1 day per success by spending 1 point of Glamour. Permanence can be used to extend this only if used with the Scene Realm. The number of successes determines the protective strength of the circle, which will protect the user as long as she does not leave the circle or drop the charm. If a power used on a warned target exceeds the protection described, subtract the successes of the ward from the successes gained. * 1 success -- Protection against all Arts up to level one. * 2 successes -- Protection against all Arts up to level two/all Sphere magick up to level one. * 3 successes -- Protection against all Arts up to level three/Sphere magick up to level two/all other supernatural abilities (Gifts, Disciplines, etc.) up to level one. * 4 successes -- Protection against all Arts up to level four/Sphere magick up to level three/ all other abilities up to level two. * 5 successes -- Protection against all Arts up to level five/Sphere magick up to level four/all other abilities up to level three. ···· Saining (Player's Guide, pg. 173) Use of this cantrip allows the namer to find the True Name of the target. This cantrip is most often used in the Saining ritual of a newly awakened kith, but it has other, more nefarious uses. All things have a True Name, even a television or a car. Changelings who possess this ability can learn the True Name of anything the use this cantrip upon, thus giving them some control over the object or person, especially if they possess the highest level of this Art, Reweaving. To find out how many letters are in a name, roll 2d10. Result (2d10) --- # of Letters * 2 --- 3 * 3-5 --- 4 * 7-9 --- 6 * 10-13 --- 7 * 14-18 --- 8 * 19-20 --- 12 System: The realm determines who or what is affected. The number of successes determines how many runes in a name are known. A name cannot be used until all of the letters are known. Each casting of this cantrip costs 1 point of Glamour, and a character may only be targeted by this cantrip once per day. If target is not in line of sight, requires that the user have some physical possession. Any possession can only be used for a single casting. * 1 success -- 1 letter * 2 successes -- 2 letters * 3 successes -- 4 letters * 4 successes -- 5 letters * 5 successes -- 7 letters ····· Reweaving (power has been modified for balance &/or setting) By switching key runes in a target's True Name, the namer can fundamentally (and permanently) change the basic nature of the target. Seelie could become Unseelie, Legacies could be changed, etc. Note that the user of this cantrip cannot make a target do something impossible (i.e., a Sluagh could be made into an elegant courtier, but still unable to speak above a whisper). The True Name of the target must be known before casting this cantrip. This cantrip can be used to affect objects as well as people. While generally only a person's personality is changed by the use of this cantrip, objects can more easily be literally transformed: a common stone may be transformed into a flower or a fish transformed into sand. Even places can be changed through the use of this awesome power. System: The realm determines who or what is affected. The number of successes describes how drastic a change has been effected in the target. To target an unwilling faerie, mortal, or Prodigal, with this cantrip costs a permanent Glamour and a Permanent Willpower. The base duration of this power is one day, plus one day for each success beyond the first gained in casting. Unwilling sapient targets automatically resist with Banality. Multiple castings upon a target do not stack. See p174 of the Players Guide for examples of what can be achieved. For willing targets, or non-sentient targets, the cost of this cantrip is 1 point of Glamour and a point of willpower, and successes determine duration (from one scene at 1 success to one month at 5 successes). The more successes achieved, the more extensive and complete the change. The exact effects of this power require careful Storyteller supervision. * 1 success -- Minor change; tastes or habits. Stop a target from chewing gum, or make a room less drafty. Change the color of a room from red to green. * 2 successes -- Moderate change; interests or moods. A raging tiger rolls over like a kitten, or a computer geek's interest shifts to something more worthy (like roleplaying). Make a pleasant, sunny room more gloomy and filled with foreboding. * 3 successes -- Major change; inner nature. Switch Courts, or get a gun to decide that its true calling is a paperweight, not a weapon. Turn a bank into a Communist collective. * 4 successes -- Total change; true calling. Change Legacies to that of your choice, or cause gunpowder to be edible. Turn a church into a bowling alley. * 5 successes -- Complete change; spiritual Twister. Cause vampires to embark on Golconda, or simply gain Faith. Switch stats on character sheets between Social and Mental Attributes. Change wraiths to specters. Turn the White House into a public lavatory.